There are three candidates running to take over for Monterey County District 2 Supervisor Lou Calcagno, who spent more than 10 years in the seat.

After Calcagno announced he was not seeking re-election, three candidates emerged in the race: retired military officer Ed Mitchell, retired judge John Phillips and businesswoman Maria Bonilla-Giuriato.

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District 2 includes North Salinas and its unincorporated communities, including Moss Landing, Elkhorn, Pajaro, Prunedale and Castroville.

If elected, Mitchell plans to protect Salinas Valley agricultural jobs from what he calls "the negative impacts of fracking."

He is drafting an ordinance regulating fracking through his advocacy group, Protect Salinas Valley. Mitchell said he will also fight for sustainable and affordable water.

"In 1995 right here on this ranch, my well went dry, so I know that it's vital that family farms and businesses have sustainable and affordable water," Mitchell said.

"The voters deserve somebody who knows the local issues and conditions, has the skills and who can get things done for the county," Mitchell said.

Phillips is also concentrating on water. He believes everyone is focused on doing their due diligence and thinks a fresh set of eyes on the water situation in the county is not a bad thing.

"I don't have all the answers to everything but it was like when I was on the bench, if I get all the facts and they give me all the facts and I will demand to get all the facts, I can make a fair and reasonable decision and I will always make the decision for the right reason," Phillips said.

Phillips is the founder of Rancho Cielo, a nonprofit organization that helps troubled youth find employment. He says it's a system that's working; keeping young people out of jail and equipping them with a skill for life.

"Jobs are key. One thing I've found at Rancho Cielo, the one thing that stimulates and turns these kids around is a chance to get a job and that's critical," Phillips said.

Candidate Bonilla-Giuriato is the first Latina woman to run for North County supervisor. She believes she can bring leadership, integrity and experience to the table, spending 25 years working at the county level and another five years working under retired Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in the State Office of Economic Development and Department of Real Estate.

Bonilla-Giuriato said transparency in government is a big issue in Monterey County.

"There's been a lot of situations where transparency in government is not happening and the public is actually at the point where they're demanding it, there's lawsuits, you know, when I've gone out to speak to voters, they're talking about it and there's a little bit of distress there," says candidate Maria Bonilla-Giuriato.

She also says economic development and job growth, particularly among youth, are a top priority and says health care is critical and monitoring the Affordable Care Act and the impact it will have on the local level is also an important development to keep watch over.

"We're in a year where there's going to be quite a significant amount of things that are going to merge and come in together and it's going to take some strong leadership to be able to go in and address them," Bonilla-Giuriato said.